What causes severe leg cramps at night?

Leg cramps at night don’t always have a medical cause, but it’s a good idea to see a doctor to rule this out.

When to worry about leg cramps

Vitamins for leg cramps at night

How to stop leg cramps immediately

Leg cramps at night a classic sign

When to worry about leg cramps at night

To help prevent them, stretch your calf and hamstring muscles before bed.

Imagine you’re lying down, and your lower leg seizes. The pain is intense enough to make you want to scream. It doesn’t let up, and your muscle is hard to the touch.

When you try to move your leg, it feels paralyzed. Sound familiar?

According to American Family Physician, nocturnal leg cramps affect up to 60 percent of adults.

Charley horse in calf while sleeping

Sometimes referred to as muscle spasms or charley horses, they occur when one or more of the muscles in the leg tighten involuntarily.

Leg cramps most often affect the gastrocnemius muscle (calf muscle) which spans the back of each leg from the ankle to the knee.

However, they can also affect the muscles at the front of each thigh (quadriceps) and the back of each thigh (hamstrings).

You can be awake or asleep when a leg cramp strikes. Most of the time, the muscle relaxes itself in less than 10

sharp cramp in calf when sleeping

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